Saint Lucia nationals, Mr. Anthony Emmanuel and Ms. Sophia Raphael, will return home today, Saturday, March 22, 2025, to reunite with their families after being rescued at sea by the Colombian Coast Guard on January 16, 2025, in the northern region of the San Andrés Archipelago.
The pair were lost at sea after departing from the French Overseas Territory of Martinique on November 30, 2024, en route to Saint Lucia. Their rescue marked the end of a harrowing seven-week ordeal adrift in the Caribbean Sea aboard a traditional Saint Lucian fishing vessel (pirogue). In an ensuing period of recovery, Mr. Emmanuel and Ms. Raphael were accommodated on San Andrés Island, Colombia while the Ministry of External Affairs of Saint Lucia, in collaboration with Colombian authorities worked assiduously towards facilitating their repatriation.
“On behalf of the Government and People of Saint Lucia, the Ministry of External Affairs extends its profound gratitude to the Government and People of the Republic of Colombia, particularly the Colombian Coast Guard and Pastor Alberto Gordon, President of the Raizal Council in San Andrés Island, for their efforts in rescuing, sheltering, and supporting the nationals during this challenging time. This act of solidarity underscores the significance of international cooperation and diplomacy and serves to further strengthen the existing ties between Saint Lucia and the Republic of Colombia,” stated a release from the Ministry of External Affairs.